Based on a series of ethnographies conducted in artisanal fishing villages of Cuddalore district and in its main fishing harbor where coexist different modes of fishing (both artisanal and mechanized), this contribution aims at describing and decipher the sociopolitical trajectory of sardines in the Tamil Nadu coastal area. Guided by a method of investigation that aim to “follow the thing” (Cook et al., 2004) - here, a species of fish – from the sea to the market and to the ways it is bought and cooked in households, and through an historical approach, this paper intends to show the interplay between fisher folk and seafood by restoring several trajectories of a specie extracted from its natural habitat to its circulation in market and consuming spaces. By documenting oil sardines’ journey from sea to harbor to trade to market until reaching kitchens, we will encompass livelihoods of many groups associated with it, from fishermen, traders, port laborers to small vendors, and cooks.